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Electrospun Nylon Nanofibers as Effective Reinforcement to Polyaniline Membranes

2009; American Chemical Society; Volume: 1; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1021/am900456a

1944-8252

Angel Romo‐Uribe, Layza Arizmendi, María Eugenia Romero‐Guzmán, S. Sepúlveda-Guzmán, Rodolfo Cruz‐Silva,

Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications

This research demonstrates that a nylon nanofiber (NNF) mat can be an effective mechanical reinforcement to polyaniline (PANI) thin films. Nanofibers of ca. 250 nm diameter were produced by electrospinning of a nylon 6 solution in formic acid. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the solution impregnation method utilized was effective to embed the nanofibers into the PANI matrix. The effectiveness of NNFs as a mechanical reinforcement of a PANI thin film was assessed via dynamic mechanical analysis in tension mode. The as-cast PANI films displayed a tensile dynamic modulus, E′, of ca. 0.65 GPa at room temperature. Scanning in the temperature showed that the PANI film has a usage temperature of up to about 80 °C, with this being limited by its glass transition temperature, and over this temperature range, the elastic modulus was nearly independent of the temperature. On the other hand, the PANI−NNF composite displayed a significantly higher tensile modulus at room temperature (1.1 GPa) and its usage temperature was extended up to just over 200 °C, with this being limited by the melting transition of nylon 6 (at 220 °C). The results therefore showed that the NNF mat increased the usage temperature of PANI films over 100 °C, opening up applications for PANI membranes.